


Whatever It Takes

by fabulous_but_evil



Category: The Big Bang Theory (TV)
Genre: Affectionate Insults, Am I Honestly The Only One Who Thinks Leonard Might've An Anxiety Disorder?, Angst with a Happy Ending, Anxiety, Anxiety Attacks, Anxiety Disorder, Asexual Character, Asexual Sheldon Cooper, Asexuality, Asexuality Spectrum, Bed-Wetting, Bullying, Canon Compliant, Childhood Memories, Childhood Trauma, Diapers, Dom/sub, Dom/sub Undertones, Don't Judge Me, Episode: s05e11 The Speckerman Recurrence, Everyone Needs A Hug, Forgive Me, Gen, Good Intentions, Headcanon, Height Differences, How Do I Tag, I Can't Believe I Wrote This, I Don't Even Know, I Tried, I Will Go Down With This Ship, I'm Sorry, Insecurity, Insomnia, Insults, Light Dom/sub, M/M, Memories, Non-Sexual Age Play, Omorashi, Platonic BDSM, Platonic Life Partners, Platonic Relationships, Platonic Romance, Please Don't Hate Me, Please Don't Kill Me, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Queer Character, Queer Themes, Queerplatonic Relationships, Safe Sane and Consensual, Safewords, Self Confidence Issues, Self-Acceptance, Self-Denial, Self-Doubt, Self-Esteem Issues, Self-Indulgent, Self-Reflection, Sharing a Bed, Teen Angst, Trans Character, Trans Male Character, Waffles, What Have I Done, What Was I Thinking?, Why Did I Write This?, but not really
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-06-26
Updated: 2019-06-01
Packaged: 2020-03-20 14:04:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 697
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18994090
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fabulous_but_evil/pseuds/fabulous_but_evil
Summary: When Leonard tells Sheldon he can't sleep because he can't stop thinking about his childhood bully, that's only half of the truth.(Or: The One In Which Leonard And Sheldon Indulge In Platonic Age Play To Deal With Leonard's Anxiety And Insomnia. Don't even ask.)





	Whatever It Takes

**Author's Note:**

> This story features non-sexual age play. However, there's a brief line of dialogue referencing that Leonard might've displayed a sexual reaction to Sheldon putting a diaper on him on a previous occasions. It isn't further discussed but I intended it as a kind of hint that there are different kinds of attraction - at least on Leonard's side - that might make their friendly relationship a little bit more complicated. But if you prefer your age play fic 100% platonic this one might not be the right one for you.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think I should point out that I hadn't really watched an entire episode of TBBT when I wrote this. I have now started watching it from the beginning to ensure I get the characterizations straight in the process of continuing this fic, but still.

When Leonard tells Sheldon he can't sleep because he can't stop thinking about his childhood bully, that's only half of the truth.

They sit together for a while after they're conversation has died down, except for Sheldon occacionally insulting the scientists in the livestream. Eventually, Leonard clears his throat and mumbles, "I can't sleep because I'm afraid I'll mess up the sheets again."

"Excuse me, I can't hear you over the sound of Mr. Stupid holding a speech that makes about as much sense as the fact that he has a phD in something."

Sheldon only sounds half-annoyed. He's the one who brought the whole thing up in the first place.  _For scientific reasons only_ , of course. So they talked about it, and they've agreed that they both need Leonard to  _say_ it. Out loud. What he wants, and what he  _needs_ , so Sheldon can give it to him.

" _Daddy_ ,  _please_ ," he grits out, but it comes out rather a desperate  _whine_ , and Leonard hates that he agreed on that codeword, but the next thing he knows it that Sheldon snaps his laptop shut and rises from the sofa in one fluid - elegant - motion and storms off to his bedroom.

It had taken Sheldon a while to understand that that means  _Follow me_ \- maybe Sheldon was right every time he insulted his intelligence -, so he followed.

"Lay down on the bed, please," Sheldon says, and something about the fact that it isn't really an order rubs Leonard off wrong, but he gets on the bed without complaining nonetheless.

"Take your pants off, would you be so kind?"

And Leonard does, awkwardly shrugging the fabric off while laying on his back. This time he actually finds the courage to mutter, "I don't mind if you boss me around a little," under his breath.

"Don't talk back to me, Leonard," he says, sharply, and that's all it takes for him to relax into this. "If you dislike my way of going about this kind of things, feel free to leave."

"No, sir, I'm sorry, sir," he mumbles. They've talked about this. Sheldon doesn't neccessarily  _like_ being called  _daddy_. They've agreed on the word because it takes Leonard a certain amount of will power and/or desperation to simply say it, so they can be sure he really  _needs_ this.

"Doing it just for fun would mess with the results of the experiment," Sheldon had said.

Leonard had decided to keep quiet about how much he disliked Sheldon referring to their little _arrangement_ as an experiment, so he said instead, "It's not fun for  _me_ , Sheldon."

His roommate had easily shut him up by asking, "Then why did you get hard last time?"

"Thought so," Sheldon muses, and holds up one of the adult diapers he has the backbone to keep in his own room for occasions like this. "Ready, big boy?"

He nods.

Sheldon clicks his tongue, a sound that could mean disapproval or simple impatience. "I'm sorry, but I need you to say it."

He doesn't look sorry, though.

"Yes, daddy," he says, forcing his voice barely above a whisper this time, to show he really means it, "'m ready."

Sheldon puts the diaper on him, helps him back into his pyjama bottoms, and up from the bed, pulling him into an awkward hug Leonard knows he isn't really comfortable with.

"You alright?," he asks.

"Yeah, Leonard breathes, "How 'bout you?"

"I'm fine," Sheldon says, a little  _too_ sharply, but little Leonard had him pinky-swear he would tell him if something was really wrong, and although Sheldon always muses about how easily deceived children are, he would never break a promise he gave to Leonard, no matter the headspace he was in at the time. "Do you think you can go to sleep now or do you need me to read you a story first?"

"I'm  _fine_ , thank you," he murmured, and got up to retreat to his own room for the night.

"Good night, Sheldon," he says, very deliberately saying his roomate's name to signal that play time was over.

It doesn't stop him from replying, "Good night, baby boy," but Leonard can't say he minds much.


End file.
